Apostle Review: 7 Ups & 3 Downs
1. It's Richly Atmospheric & Suspenseful
What really makes Apostle work more than anything else is its almost suffocating sense of atmosphere. Even when the movie's dragging its feet, the cinematography, music, performances and direction all conspire to ensure this feels like a palpable vision of Hell despite its low-budget conception.
Again, it's a testament to Evans' experience working with limited funds that he can wring so much out of so little, creating a worthy spiritual successor to The Wicker Man that, again, branches off in a very different direction once the setup is done with.
And one also has to consider whether the movie's ominous mood would feel quite so strong were the movie much shorter. Yes, it can be frustratingly slow in the early going, but it also helps fully immerse the audience in the scenario alongside Thomas.
What did you think of Apostle? Shout it out in the comments!